


Going Once

by 3BeesAndCoffee3



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Artist Steve Rogers, Asthma, Asthmatic Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Charity Auctions, Diners, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Gay Steve Rogers, High School Drop Out Bucky Barnes, High School Student Steve Rogers, I dunnoooo, Love Confessions, M/M, Maybe I'll make a part two or smthn, Nerd Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Punk Bucky Barnes, Rebecca is sweet, School Auctions, Shy Steve Rogers, Smoking, Steve has glasses, Steve isn't sick tho, This is what I decided to do with my time, bi bucky, fluff and plot, mention of weed, ur welcome ig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 07:09:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17914172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3BeesAndCoffee3/pseuds/3BeesAndCoffee3
Summary: The particular event that Bucky wasn’t just attending but being forced to participate in was some kind of fundraiser. Becca had said it was for her school if he remembers right. The event was set up to be like some kind of auction. Girls and boys from Becca's school would choose to either be up for auction or to bid. Several girls and boys will walk out onto a platform and people will have a chance to bid on them. Once there’s a winner, the money bid being given to the charity, the two have the option to go on a dinner “date” paid for by the school. The whole thing sounded bizarre but Bucky had been willing to help out until he realized exactly what helping entailed.Or: Bucky gets roped into his sisters' school fundraiser and it ends up not sucking.





	Going Once

**Author's Note:**

> Boop! Wrote this bc why not. I just wanted to get the idea out of my head and it ended up turning into this soo, hope you like it!

Bucky’s still not sure how he got himself roped into this mess. Maybe the fact that he had never learned to say no to Rebecca was to blame, but all she ever had to do was batter her sweet blue eyes at him and he was gone. Becca had been through enough in her life already, Bucky didn’t need to leave her feeling alone too. Still, he wishes he’d denied her this, as he’s walking up the steps to the large building on the end of 1st street. On a day to day basis, Bucky couldn’t tell you what the building was for, but it was rented out often for town events such as this.

The particular event that Bucky wasn’t just attending but being forced to participate in was some kind of fundraiser. Becca had said it was for her school if he remembers right. The event was set up to be like some kind of auction. Girls and boys from Becca's school would choose to either be up for auction or to bid. Several girls and boys will walk out onto a platform and people will have a chance to bid on them. Once there’s a winner, the money bid being given to the charity, the two have the option to go on a dinner “date” paid for by the school. The whole thing sounded bizarre but Bucky had been willing to help out until he realized exactly what helping entailed. 

“Becca, come on,” Bucky whined desperately, dragging his feet as he followed behind her into the building. They were here early (per her request) and the place was already stuffed full of high school and middle school students. “No one is gonna care if I’m not here.”

She spun on her heels to flash him a glare. “Yes, they will. I put your name on the roster. Come on, James, you promised.”

“That was before I realized helping you meant I had to be one of the things being auctioned off,” Bucky reminded, following her close with his hands jammed in his pockets. He was wearing a dress shirt with his leather jacket over it and some jeans, nothing fancy, even though she tried to wrangle him into a suit. She looked much nicer than he did, her long hair tied into a bun and dressed in heels and a long navy blue dress. 

“It’s for a good cause,” she said, smiling. “It’ll be fine, everyone here still knows you.”

“Was that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Come on, I’ll be up there too.”

Bucky sighed. “Yeah, okay. You owe me.”

She laughed as she waved at someone she knew, lining up behind the other people ready for the auction. “No, I don’t,” she said simply before pulling him into line with her.

There were about a dozen people ahead of them so he had time before he had to step out in front of a bunch of people he didn’t really know and then let them bid actual money on him. There was no way he was doing dinner, though. No girl could be cute enough to talk him into that when he could go home and lay in bed, cursing his sisters' name. They could have the whole thing to themselves. 

Bucky waited somewhat anxiously in line for what seemed like ages before the auction even began, after that everything was so loud he just tuned it all out and waited for his sentence. He could hear the thump of music playing and guys and girls hollering and cheering over some man raffling off numbers faster than Bucky could understand. Rebecca seemed very much in her element though, bouncing in place, chatting happily with the girl in front of her.

Seeing her so happy almost made it all worth it until the man was loudly announcing the next group and Rebecca was tugging at his arm to follow. “Come on, that’s us!”

Bucky followed like some kind of pack animal onto the platform, which felt much higher up than it had seemed from the ground. There were stage lights on overhead that made it almost impossible for Bucky to see, especially out into the audience. They lined up and everyone clapped and cheered and Bucky wanted to sink into the floor. He hadn’t seen almost 90% of these kids since he dropped out last year and really, he didn’t miss it. 

The man shouted out their numbers, 15-22, Bucky being 19 and Becca 20, and then the bidding began. It started at only two bucks, which seemed ridiculous but it didn’t actually take that long before the girl a few people down from him was being bet on with numbers well up in the twenties. She was auctioned off in the end to one of her friends, who was laughing hysterically as she forked over thirty-two bucks. The bidding went on down the line in similar fashion, some only getting up to ten dollars and some nearly at fifty. It seemed like a perfect setup for hurt feelings and bad self-confidence but he shut his mouth.

When the bidding reached Bucky, his face was hot and he was more than ready to get the hell off the stage. There were one or two small bids placed after several long and agonizing seconds, likely from people not knowing who the hell he was. But then, like a fucking blessing from above, a voice shouted out over the music and hollered, “fifty bucks!” 

A lot of people started whooping and clapping, including his sister who jabbed him in the side with her elbow, grinning ear to ear at him. Unsurprisingly, no one topped the ridiculous bid and then Bucky was helped off the stage and lead to the bidder. Now he just had to excuse himself from the night and leave the person with a lot of food. 

“Here’s the coupon, just give it to the restaurant after you eat and they’ll comp it, have fun,” the woman said, handing it to Bucky, who looked like she was probably a teacher that had been roped into the ordeal. 

“Oh, right, thanks,” he mumbled, looking up to find a guy grinning at him when they stopped walking. It took him way to long to realize that the guy in front of him, wearing a nice blue dress shirt, hair all combed nicely, was who’d won the bid. “Is this some kind of joke?” Bucky asked dryly. 

“What?” the teen asked in response, raising an eyebrow. 

“Is this some kind of joke,” Bucky repeated. “Because I’m not interested in playing some ‘hah, gay guy’ kinda joke, alright?”

The guy laughed softly in response, cheeks getting pink as he ducked his head. “No, no, it isn’t uh, it isn’t a joke, actually.” 

“Then what?”

“I’m Steve,” he offered instead, jutting a slender hand out. He was tall, about Bucky’s height, lean and actually rather handsome. “We had an art class together before you uh-”

“Dropped out,” Bucky finished, shaking Steve’s hand awkwardly. “Right, sorry last year is kind of a blur, honestly.”

“No, no! It’s fine!” Steve said, quickly shaking his head. “I didn’t expect you to remember me, we never really talked.”

“You remembered me,” Bucky pointed out with a shrug. Steve just turned redder in response.

“I just saw you and uh, you looked really miserable, honestly?”

Bucky snorted, jerking his head at the door. “Wanna talk outside, where it isn’t deafening?” 

“Huh? Oh, yes, please,” Steve smiled widely, following Bucky out.

Once they were outside, leaning against the wall around the corner, Bucky lit of a cigarette and tried to relax. “Want one,” he asked, holding the pack out, to which Steve quickly shook his head.

“No, thanks. I don’t smoke. Asthma.”

Bucky chuckled and nodded. “Alright. So, did you really just blow fifty dollars just to get me off stage from looking uncomfortable?” 

Steve scratched the back of his head, staring pointedly at his feet. “Well, I mean, no. not exactly, anyway.”

“Then, why?”

“Honestly?”

“Yeah, for real,” Bucky nodded, blowing smoke slowly out his nose. “No bull.”

Steve exhaled, biting at his lip before opening his mouth. “Honestly, I was kinda hoping you’d go to that dinner with me?” he admitted, eyeing Bucky nervously. 

“What? as what?”

“As…” Steve hesitated. “Maybe as a date?”

Bucky nearly choked on an inhale of smoke, coughing as he looked at Steve, but there wasn’t any trace of a joke there. Steve looked sincere and like he was maybe ready to hide under a rock. “Wow, you’re fuckin’ serious.”

“I mean, yeah.”

“You don’t even know me,” Bucky said, feeling a little awkward. The guy seemed really sincere and sweet but it all still felt really strange and set up. He could maybe remember seeing him in the hall a couple times before when he was still in school, but he couldn’t remember a single time they’d spoken before now. 

Steve shrugged. “I’ve had a crush on you since seventh grade,” Steve laughed awkwardly. He was beet red now and it was making Bucky feel kind of bad. “And James, I’d really like to get to know you.”

“Bucky,” he said, waving a hand off at him. “Only my sister calls me James, honestly.”

“Bucky,” Steve mimics, smiling a little wider. “I think I’d like to get to know you a little better.” he tugged at the cuff of his shirt nervously before adjusting the thick-framed glasses perched on his nose. 

Bucky smiled a little as he put the butt of his cigarette out on the wall behind him. Steve was beyond awkward, someone Bucky probably would have openly avoided in high school, but he seemed sweet and it wasn’t like he was still in contact with anyone from his previous high school clique. Becca was probably already off with a friend or some boy and she’d text him when she was ready anyway. “Yeah, alright, why not?” 

“For real?” Steve gaped and Bucky laughed out loud, nodding. 

“Yeah, let’s go eat, I’m starved.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Steve agreed feverishly, grinning so wide Bucky thought it might hurt his face. “Me too- I’m hungry.”

“Alright, dork,” Bucky shook his head and headed towards his car. “I’ll drive us there.”

Steve climbed into the passenger seat without any grace, even fumbling with the seatbelt while Bucky started up the car, letting the engine whine in protest for a moment before backing out of the parking lot. “So, there’s like five restaurants doing this coupon thing,” Bucky said, turning on the radio. “Where do you wanna go?”

Steve was bouncing his knee, looking out the window as Bucky drove. “Oh, uh, Kathy’s?”

“The diner?”

“Yeah, if that works?”

Bucky nodded and headed towards the small restaurant towards the edge of town. Bucky had only been there a few times before but the food had always been good and the music and decor made it feel like the ’60s. When they pulled in, it looked mostly empty, which was fine by Bucky. The fewer people he had to see, the better. 

They headed in, nabbing a table towards the back and the waitress took the coupon and their drink orders before leaving them to talk. 

“You didn’t get a milkshake?” Steve asked, almost in disbelief. 

“No?”

“Have you ever had one from here before?”

“No, why? It’s just a milkshake, I don’t think my Dr. Pepper is gonna kill me,” Bucky chuckled, checking his phone briefly for any texts or calls from Rebecca. 

“No, but you’re missing out,” Steve said, smiling as he propped his chin on his hand. “The milkshakes here are the best.” almost on queue, the waitress returned with their drinks, sliding them across the table. 

“Need a few more minutes?” she asked, smiling sweetly.

“Uh, please,” Bucky mumbled and she nodded, leaving to help another table.

“Here, try it,” Steve said, pushing his milkshake over to Bucky. “It’s just chocolate.” 

Bucky hesitated before taking a sip through the straw. It was thick and honestly, really freaking good. It was creamy and rich, and Bucky nodded. “Alright, you win, it’s good.”

“It’s great,” Steve corrected, nabbing it back to take a drink of his own, humming happily. 

“Right,” Bucky chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “So, we had an art class together?”

Steve nodded, messing with his silverware. “Yeah, last year, third period with Mr. Dandaferd.”

Bucky didn’t remember that much truthfully, except that he’d been a terrible student that entire year- or what little of it he was there for. 

“You sat at the front,” Steve said.

“Right,” he recalled, running a hand through his hair as he laughed nervously. “He moved me up there after-”

“-You were on your phone, yeah,” Steve smiled.

“How do _you_ remember that and I don’t?”

“Maybe because you were always high?”

“Okay, okay, take it easy,” Bucky snorted. 

“Sorry,” Steve flushed, though he was still grinning. “Anyways, I sat at the back, so you probably didn’t really even notice me.”

“If it makes things any better, I didn’t really pay attention to anything last year.”

“I’m not upset,” Steve shrugged, smiling to himself as he poked his finger against the prongs of his fork. “I guess I just wish I’d had the nerve to say something to you before you left. Honestly, when I saw you at the thing tonight, I couldn’t believe it, it was like, here it is, this is a second chance, and I just sorta shouted it out.”

Bucky could feel how warm his face was, listening to Steve ramble. It was weird thinking that someone like Steve, or anyone at all really, had a crush on Bucky while he was at school still, let alone enough of one for Steve to bet fifty dollars on him. “Was it worth it?” Bucky asked before he could really stop himself. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I think so.” 

Bucky smiled. “Cool, I’m glad.”

“You’re glad you came?”

“Yeah, I think I am, honestly. I haven’t gotten out a lot recently unless Becca’s dragging me somewhere.”

“Becca?” Steve asked, taking a sip of his milkshake. 

“Rebecca, she’s my little sister,” Bucky explained, swirling his straw around his drink, watching the soda bubbles pop and fizz. 

“Oh, she’s in advanced history,” Steve nodded. “Sophmore, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, she’s crazy smart,” Bucky grinned. 

Steve smiled back and they just looked at each other for a minute. It didn’t feel weird or tense, Bucky actually felt strangely more at ease. He was out, more or less. His sister knew he was bi and most of the school did too, but it felt good to be around another guy who actually liked him. He’d slept with a couple of guys before, mostly when they were all drunk as hell anyway, but this was worlds different. It felt like a normal relationship, like how he felt walking around with his (now ex) girlfriend on his arm, he felt confident. 

“Are we ready to order now, gentlemen?” the waitress asked as she approached the table, pulling her pen out of her apron. Steve and Bucky both pulled their attention away from each other and nodded, clearing their throats awkwardly.

Bucky had hardly even looked at the menu. “Uh, the number five, please? With bacon.”

“Sure thing, and for you?” she asked, looking at Steve, who was fiddling with his glasses again. 

“Um, I’ll have pancakes, please? Extra strawberries?” 

She nodded happily. “Alright, I’ll have that right out.”

Bucky glanced back at Steve once she’d left. “Breakfast for dinner, huh?”

Steve shrugged. “Pancakes are good.” 

“Burgers might be better,” Bucky argued lightly.

“Ehh, not if you don’t eat meat.”

Bucky gawked, leaning over the table to look closely at Steve, who was giggling softly, also leaning in, like there was some big secret. “You’re a freakin’ vegan?”

“Vegetarian,” Steve corrected.

“And that’s better?”

“I took a lot of animal health classes,” Steve explained shyly. “I just can’t get myself to eat meat now, I guess?”

“This might be a deal breaker, here,” Bucky teased and a look of worry crossed over Steve’s face before he realized Bucky was grinning and he punched him lightly, just on his shoulder.

“Fuck off,” Steve blushed, leaning back so he was sitting properly in his seat again.

“Nah, it’s cute, I guess.”

“Cute?”

Bucky made a so-so motion with his hand. “Yeah. you’re compassionate and shit, right? I think it’s cute.”

“Oh,” Steve breathed, his ears turning a shade darker than even his face. 

“You always this pink?” Bucky asked, poking a finger into Steve’s thin cheek. 

“What? No? Screw off, seriously,” Steve shrieked, though he couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “You’re a jerk.”

“You’re just now figuring that out?” 

“No, I guess not, you were a jerk in school too,” Steve deadpanned and Bucky laughed, finishing off the last of his soda. 

Their food arrived only a moment later and they dug in almost immediately. Bucky hadn’t realized how hungry he was but he was sure glad to be stuffing his face now. Even Steve’s plate of pancakes stacked up and dripping with sugary sweet strawberries looked good. 

“Can I ask you something?” Steve asked around a mouthful of pancakes. 

“Shoot,” Bucky said, popping a french fry into his mouth as he checked his phone again. This time he actually did have a text from his sister but it just read, _HEYY! Going to the movies with my friends and a guy! I’ll be home later, hope whoever you’re with that their cute!_ Bucky just shook his head and smiled. 

“How come you dropped out?” Steve asked. “I mean, you were almost there, right? You’d be graduating this year, with me.”

Bucky sighed. It wasn’t exactly the direction he’d wanted the conversation to go, but it wasn’t a new question. He was asked that same question almost every day. “I dunno, I was going one way and school was like, completely another way. I don’t have something that I feel like I could ever go to school for and do for the rest of my life. Becca’s already applying for scholarships in engineering, ya know? I was never like that. I don’t have that same determination or drive, so I just felt like I was wasting my time there. I wasn’t ever gonna use that education anyways, and honestly, my grades were bad enough it wouldn’t have mattered.”

Steve looked a little sad, brow creased as he chewed another forkful of food. “You don’t have anything you want to do?”

“Nope.” 

Steve sighed, visibly thinking for a moment. “Maybe you just haven’t found it yet. So yeah, you got high and fucked off when you should’ve been doing school work, but you don’t have to go to college for everything. There’s lots of stuff out there. I bet we could find something you like without even having to worry about school.”

Bucky just stared for a while. He’d only been talking to Steve for less than an hour and here he was, putting more dedication into his life than his parents had in the past several years. Bucky hadn’t found an easy talent that he loved and would make money, nothing ever interested him enough and it didn’t take very long before he was just burnt out. Sure, his dad was on his ass about grades a lot, but he didn’t care too much if the grades weren’t working towards anything.

“Like what?” Bucky asked, finishing off his fries. Steve lit up a little.

“Well, what kinda stuff do you like?”

“What do I like?” Bucky copied back, unsure.

“Yeah, sure. Like, what do you do all day when you aren’t at school?”

“Sleep.”

Steve laughed, louder and more open than he’d been all night. He was still crimson, but he seemed worlds more comfortable than when he’d first approached Bucky with the whole dinner idea. “Yeah, not what I meant.”

“I don’t know,” Bucky said honestly, trying to think. “Sometimes I get high? I watch way too much Netflix? I work out sometimes? That’s about it.”

“Okay, do you like working out?” he asked, bouncing in his seat a little.

Bucky scrunched his nose up. “Not enough to be a, like, personal trainer or anything.” 

“Okay, do you like film?”

“I watch horror movies and Rick and Morty, Steve, I’m not a cinematic maniac.” 

Steve hummed. “Do you like being around me?”

Bucky chuckled. “What?”

Steve shrugged, looking down at his plate, not that it hid his little smile or how red he was. “Do you like being around me?”

Bucky grinned. “Yeah, it’s pretty okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I have good news, then,” Steve said, glancing back at Bucky, glasses slipping down to perch on the edge of his nose. He had to resist the urge to reach across the table and push them back up himself. 

“Yeah, and what’s that?”

“You don’t have to go to college to see me.”

Bucky flicked a bit of his burger bun at Steve with a laugh. “Get out of here.”

“It’s true!”

“Yeah, yeah. Very helpful, punk.”

Steve just looked pleased as he finished off the last couple abandoned strawberries off his plate. “I could help you find something you really like to do though, I can tutor you even.”

“Why would you do that?” Bucky shook his head. 

“What? Because, you have potential and I think you’re worth it, duh.”

“Don’t get cocky, I just met you and now you want to help me get my life together?”

“Kinda, yeah. I really like you, and it’s kinda scary, but I really wanna try.”

“Try?”

“Try ‘us’?”

Bucky couldn’t help the little bubble of laughter from his throat. “You wanna like, date-date me?”

Steve frowned and placed his silverware neatly on his plate. “No, I don’t know. I’m sorry, I got too ahead of myself- you just met me.”

Bucky pushed aside both of their plates so he could lean closer. “It wouldn’t be the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”

Steve looked at him closely, hands fidgeting nervously. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”

“What, a date?”

“I mean, yeah?”

“You’ve never been on a date?”

Steve shook his head. “Nope.” 

“How??”

 

Steve laughed and made a vague gesture to himself. “I’m trying for an art scholarship, Bucky, I’m not playing football or something.”

“Who gives a fuck about that stuff?”

“You did,” Steve offered meekly and Bucky frowned because he wasn’t wrong.

“I don’t anymore. That’s part of why I left, all the stereotypes and the pushing to just be something? I hated it. I mean, they were all so pushy, I didn’t smoke before I met Brock or anyone.”

“So… what are you saying?”

“I don’t know, honestly,” Bucky laughed and Steve mirrored his smile. “But you like me and I just met you and I already like you, so fuck it, let’s try it.”

Steve couldn’t seem to contain the excited little gasp that came from him as he grabbed Bucky’s hands excitedly. “Really? You’re serious?”

Bucky shook him off of his hands while laughing, nodding. Steve was redder than a tomato and he looked stupid happy. “Yeah, I’m serious.”

“Like date how?” Steve asked urgently, fingers twisting at his shirt collar, all nervous and excited energy bubbling over. “Date as in we try dinner again and see how it goes, or date like I can hold your hand and I can wear your stupid leather jacket kind of date?”

Bucky burst out laughing then, which successfully drew the attention of several people to their table, seeming to mortify Steve as he sunk down in his seat, flushing. “Which kind do you want?”

“Uhh, both, I guess? Like, uh, I wanna still go to lunch with you and get to know you but I wanna know you aren’t gonna be doing the same thing an hour later with someone else. Is that- is that fair?”

Bucky watched Steve twist himself into a puddle of anxiety before he smiled softly and just shrugged. “Yeah, I think that’s fair.”

“Is everyone still staring?” Steve asked nervously, refusing to look away from Bucky. 

“Huh? No.”

“Can I kiss you?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow at the teen across from him, beet red and wide-eyed behind his glasses and slightly frazzled hair. “Here?”

“N-not if you don’t want to.”

“Go ahead.”

“Really? What if someone sees?” 

“So? Fuck them.”

Steve laughed nervously, eyes a little brighter with determination. “Right, okay. Fuck them,” he breathed as he leaned over to meet Bucky across the table, letting their lips brush before he pressed his gently to Buckys’.

It was more of a brush of their lips, a quick peck, than a real kiss, but it was still sweet and nice, and that alone made Steve look like he might die on the spot, so Bucky let him pull away, back into his own seat. “So?”

“That- it was good- I liked it-” Steve stammered shyly as he pulled his inhaler from his pocket and took a couple puffs. 

“You gonna be okay?” Bucky grinned and Steve nodded quickly before putting the inhaler away again.

“Sorry- I’ve been wanting to do that since I met you- and uh, yeah.”

“You’re a nerd.”

“Technically I’m your nerd now though, right?” Steve asked with a soft smile, ducking his head a little so he didn't have to look directly at Bucky.

“Yeah, technically.” he smiled. “Let’s go, huh? I wanna kiss you in my car for real.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, lovelies!


End file.
